The winning formula that once served the American League East so well – mostly, spending lots of money on players – isn’t working anymore.
The once-feared division has turned into the soft spot in everyone else’s schedule. The New York Yankees, with a payroll of US$219 million (Dh804.4), second only to the Los Angeles Dodgers in all of baseball, top the division with a 53.7 winning percentage, lowest of MLB’s six division leaders.
The Boston Red Sox, with the third-highest ($187m) roster, have the third-worst record in the American League.
The Toronto Blue Jays, who free-spent ($123m) their way to 10th place on the money list, are fourth-worst.
Meanwhile, the mid-market Baltimore Orioles, who averaged a creditable 91 victories the past three seasons, made no attempt to sign their 2014 hero, Nelson Cruz, and are on pace to win 72.
The Tampa Bay Rays, with their paltry $76m payroll, continue to defy money logic with an admirable 28-26 record. But with three starting pitchers out, and their traditional line-up of no-names, it’s hard to imagine them continuing to win more than they lose.
The division is a monument to the futility of relying on batting orders stocked with overpaid geriatrics (New York, Boston) and ignoring starting pitching, as if having a reliable No 1 and No 2 starter isn’t necessary if you load up with five No 3s (Boston, Toronto, Baltimore).
Someone has to win the division and reach the play-offs. It’s in the rules.
But judging by the first two months, finishing on top of this smouldering heap won’t impress anyone.
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